This is the last day of TU-Automotive Detroit and there is still news coming from Novi Michigan. Announcements and topics include car sharing, telematics, machine learning, self-driving, ADAS, payments and software integration services. Some companies featured at the event are SBD, Zipcar, Audi, OCTO, Movimento, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, INRIX, PayByPhone and Airbiquity.
Car Sharing Zipar /Audi
Zipcar announced a new membership process for customers that no longer requires a waiting period to book a vehicle.
Car sharing hasn’t impacted business as usual for Audi dealers “Our core business of selling and servicing cars, there’s been no impact,” said Scott Reynolds, Audi mobility business development manager, “We’re not at the point where (car-sharing) has replaced ownership yet.”
OCTO Fleet
Octo Telematics launched OCTO Fleet, a comprehensive insurance telematics solution for both large and small fleets in North America. This launch provides insurers with innovative, low cost telematics offerings specifically designed to reduce risk and improve driving performance for their fleet policyholders. State Auto is OCTO’S first insurance partner in the United States to extend OCTO Fleet to the companies it insures.
Following the success of its large rental and fleet programs in Europe, Octo Telematics now launches a solution for insurers serving the commercial sector in North America. Based on the company’s award-winning platform, OCTO Fleet provides valuable vehicle and driver intelligence to both the insurer and their fleet policyholders, combining risk assessment, driving analytics and usage-based insurance (UBI) with a full suite of location-based, fleet management services.
OCTO Fleet delivers a significantly improved experience for large and small fleets with two offerings, each designed to reduce the total cost of vehicle ownership.
OCTO Fleet Lite – OCTO Fleet Lite is a user-friendly and self-installed solution for commercial fleets with light to medium duty vehicles that support OBDII ports.
OCTO Fleet – OCTO Fleet is a professionally installed solution for commercial fleets that cannot support OBDII ports.
Mercedes-Benz’ Machine Learning
Mercedes Benz showed their machine learning features in it companion app. The MB Companion App allows Mercedes-Benz customers to search for directions on the Apple Watch or iPhone, initiating a complete door-to-door navigation experience.
The Apple Watch not only connects navigation on foot and by car but also guides the customers direct to their car.
A seamless integration unfolds: providing walking directions to the car on the Apple Watch, driving directions on the vehicle navigation system and again walking directions on the Apple Watch from the car to the final destination. he destination that the driver selects on the Apple Watch is passed to the Mercedes-Benz COMAND Online system once the driver starts the vehicle. He then receives safe and non-distracting driving directions to his selected destination from Mercedes-Benz navigation. When the driver parks and leaves the car, Apple Watch provides walking directions to the final destination, making it the perfect guide for “Last Mile Navigation”.
Survey Says Not Everyone Likes Self-Driving or ADAS
After more than 1,000 hours of consumer surveys, driver focus groups, dealership interviews and vehicle testing, a unique new study from SBD, Morpace and Gamivation finally offers coherent answers to this fundamental question.
The study found autonomy isn’t for everyone. A combination of personality, circumstances and experience contributes to the perfect autonomous car customer. Yet with a more consumer-centric strategy, car manufacturers can still win the trust of drivers least receptive to autonomy. This makes it critical for manufacturers and suppliers to understand what contributes to increased trust and interest.
Many drivers are disabling existing ADAS. Of the 400 US drivers interviewed (who own a car equipped with ADAS), almost 50% said they regularly disable one or more features. To avoid the unnecessary cost associated with investing in systems that do not reflect what drivers need, vehicle manufacturers and suppliers should collect and monitor car data to understand how and why drivers are using existing systems.
There is widespread misunderstanding around existing ADAS. Neither drivers nor dealerships understand the true constraints and capabilities of existing ADAS. The industry must find new ways to educate consumers, such as working with driving schools and the media.
Drivers who do not use (or are not aware) of existing ADAS are significantly less likely to trust future levels of autonomy. This makes it particularly important that future products reflect what consumers need and value. Marketing should also provide an accurate picture of what autonomous cars have to offer.
“The automotive industry is definitely at a crossroad” says co-author and SBD Director Andrew Hart. “Manufacturers and suppliers now have the opportunity to develop appealing autonomous experiences that lead to lasting trust and brand loyalty.”
Movimento Partners with HCL
Movimento and HCL Technologies Ltd, have partnered to off auto OEMs a one-stop-shop that covers everything from initial system integration to deployment, ongoing operations and customer support globally.
The introduction of new technologies and systems requires auto OEMs to integrate, manage and support diverse software solutions, a demanding task involving many different vendors. Movimento already offers scalable OTA services for updating software throughout the vehicle lifetime along with a way to collect data. By combining forces with HCL, a global $6.2 billion services company with operations in 32 countries, Movimento takes software updates and solution delivery to the next level.
The Movimento HCL partnership not only offers hardware and software system integration services but also taps into HCL’s expertise in assembling field support globally. Another significant aspect of this new solution is its ability to offer connection to the cloud as well as back-end enterprise systems like ERP and business intelligence.
Airbiquity & Nissan Renew Commitment
Airbiquity, a global leader in connected car service delivery, announced it has renewed an agreement with Nissan Motor Corporation to continue global service delivery for the NissanConnectS Mobile Apps and Infiniti InTouch Apps infotainment programs beyond 2020. Initially launched in 2013 at the forefront of the current wave of automotive industry infotainment deployments, Airbiquity and Nissan have successfully scaled the NissanConnect Mobile Apps and Infiniti InTouch Apps infotainment programs to support millions of vehicles from the Nissan and Infiniti brands, spanning 28 models across 56 countries, and a diverse range of hardware suppliers and content providers.
Deployment of the NissanConnect Mobile Apps and Infiniti InTouch Apps infotainment programs is another example of Nissan’s commitment to bringing innovative technology and superior user experiences to mass-market vehicles, and working with outside suppliers to achieve program goals. Central to making this program a reality is Airbiquity’s Infotainment Delivery offering and Choreo™ cloud-based service delivery platform, responsible for end-to-end solution deployment and the execution of over 2.6 million over-the-air (OTA) infotainment system and content provider application updates so that the NissanConnect Mobile Apps and Infiniti InTouch Apps infotainment service user experience is current and differentiated from competitive automakers.
INRIX PayByPhone for On-Street Parking Payments
INRIX announced at TU-Automotive Detroit 2016 the integration of PayByPhone’s on-street parking data and payment options into INRIX’s end-to-end parking solution for the connected car. This partnership strengthens the prediction capabilities of INRIX On-Street Parking by adding historical and real-time parking transaction information. It also adds significant coverage to INRIX’s in-car payment solution in North America and Europe.
Vancouver-based PayByPhone is an international leader in payment technologies with more than five million parking, tolling, public transit, bike share and EV charging transactions a month in cities across North America and Europe.